Prokaryote diagram

This is a diagram of a typical bacteria.  What differences do you notice between this diagram and the diagrams of the typical plant and animal cells?

• Most bacteria have a thick outer cell wall, similar to the cell wall of a plant cell, which helps the bacterium hold its shape.  In the diagram it is the outermost layer.  Color the cell wall purple.  (Some bacteria have a capsule surrounding the cell wall which protects against disease fighting agents.  The bacterium in this picture does not.)
• Just inside the cell wall is a thinner cell membrane.  Its job is to regulate what comes and goes out of the bacterium.  Animal and plant cells also have a cell membrane. Color the cell membrane pink.
• The hairlike projections that you see in the diagram are called pili (one is a pilus).  They help the bacterium stick to surfaces.  Color the pili in this diagram light green. (Not all bacteria have pili).
• Do you see the two tail-like structures on one end? They are flagella.  Do you remember from our earlier lessons what the function of a flagellum is?  They are responsible for locomotion.  Color the two flagella dark green.  (Not all bacteria have flagella).
• The jelly-like interior of the cell is the cytoplasm. Color the cytoplasm light blue.
• Suspended throughout the cytoplasm are spherical structures called ribosomes.  Ribosomes, as I hope you remember, are responsible for making proteins.  Color the ribosomes red
• Every cell has DNA, which is the genetic code that holds all the information the cell carries.  Do you remember where most of the DNA is a eukaryotic cell is found? In the nucleus.  But prokaryotic cells do not have nuclei…so the DNA is also suspended in the cytoplasm. It usually looks like a twisted rubber band.   This area is sometimes called the nucleoid.  Color the DNA yellow.